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Laundry Room Project Part 7: Vintage Sewing Machine Upcyle

From the very beginning of this laundry room project, I created a list of old/vintage items I might like to incorporate into the space. I had a vision for how I might use some vintage sewing machine parts and happened to find one on Kijiji that was in very bad shape. Of course, that was great news for me because I was able to pick it up for a mere $25. Score!!

I had intended to use the base, but as the room has evolved, I’m not sure that I will proceed as originally planned. However, I did take out the drawers, give them a light sanding and then added a layer of turquoise paint followed by a top coat of Simply White. Once completely dry, I distressed it slightly by sanding back through the layers of paint.

Although the vintage sewing machine came with some of the original hardware, I didn’t like it because unlike the rest of the machine, the handles were much less weathered looking. I decided to try to rust and patina them myself. I followed the instructions on Treasures from the Heart to get that perfect aged patina look. As suggested in the tutorial….be patient. I was surprised how much the pieces continued to deteriorate even after many hours of sitting out. I did end up doing a second dunk in the vinegar/salt solution and once again left them to sit for several hours days. Time is definitely your friend in this process and patience does pay off. I’m so pleased I stuck with the original handles, as I now love them with rusty patina surface.

Finally, I went through my crafting stash and found a bag of small wooden ball knobs. They made perfect little feet for the drawers. I glued them on with No Nails and gave them a quick coat of paint.

When I purchased the fabric for my laundry basket, I bought a second coordinating fabric to go with it. Although I wasn’t sure what I would use it for, I decided drawer liners would make the perfect accent in my new laundry room.

Loving these!!

When we originally began this whole process, I moved my scrapbooking room out of what is now my new laundry room. I moved most of my craft/scrapbooking things into what is now my very own space. The old spare bedroom (which has never actually held a bed) is now my dressing room and scrapbooking room. When this whole move took place, I decided that I could no longer keep my sewing machine upstairs, so all of my sewing gear got moved to the basement. The good news is that it is very portable, so I just carry it up when I plan to do any sewing and for the most part this works fine. However, I have found that it is quite a pain running to the basement everytime I need a needle and thread, so I decided to make one of the drawers into a mini sewing kit that would be the new home for my sewing scissors, measuring tape, seam ripper, a few spools of thread and my new make shift pin cushion. I simply added some batting to the top of the sealer lid and covered it with a fabric scrap that I hot glued in place. The ring for the sealer was spray painted white and voilá ….a coordinating pin cushion. Obviously for any real sewing job I’ll still need to make the trek to the basement, but this is a great solution for those tiny jobs that require a quick fix.

About Cindy RoyI am a busy mother, wife and kindergarten teacher. I have a huge list of loves! I love my family, Springs Church, old houses, "up-cycling" and DIY projects, scrapbooking, volleyball, interior design, cake decorating, party planning, healthy eating, and sleeping. I am very organized and reflective, and am continually striving to do life more lovingly, passionately, effectively and successfully.

About me

My name is Cindy Roy. I am the wife of Tim and mother of two precious kids ~ Eden and Shay. I am a kindergarten teacher, so life is very busy throughout the school year. Between work, kids' activities and maintaining the house, there isn't time for much else, but when holidays come, I crank it up and become a project maniac. My favourite projects involve the revitalization of old and seemingly worthless pieces. I absolutely love repurposing and upcycling!